00:00Diplomacy is the only way left for Lebanon. In fact, a recent poll has shown that less than 19%
00:09of the Lebanese still believe that the military option or the resistance option is the option
00:15that should be actually taken in the upcoming phase. This means that the majority of the Lebanese
00:21actually admit and acknowledge that diplomacy is the only way forward. President Oon has chosen
00:29these direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, he has chosen to pursue these direct
00:34negotiations. And while many of the Lebanese may have criticisms over the latest outcome of the
00:44Lebanese-Israeli framework, but definitely the majority agree over the trajectory.
00:50This has been voiced by many political groups, by many political actors, recently also a group
00:58of 400 Lebanese political actors and intellectuals have issued a statement endorsing this diplomatic
01:07trajectory and voicing that this is the only way out for Lebanon out of the problem that it is in.
01:15Now, of course, we must understand that Lebanon has actually engaged in these negotiations under
01:22very tough circumstances. The state is in a very weak position. Definitely the massive defeat that Hezbollah
01:29has inflicted upon itself and upon the Lebanese has left the Lebanese state in a very weak position to
01:36negotiate. You must also understand the circumstances under which these negotiations are happening.
01:43And therefore, the Lebanese, yes, the Lebanese state is taking a bet. And the bet of the Lebanese state at
01:49this
01:49point is that the U.S. will be able to pressure Israel enough to rein the Israelis in enough,
01:59particularly on the short term. And to a certain extent, that bet, I mean, has been successful.
02:06Beirut today is shielded. There are no bombings in Beirut. Now, of course, bombings continue in southern
02:13Lebanon. Israeli attacks continue in southern Lebanon, albeit at a lesser frequency. The success
02:20in the upcoming phase will depend on the Lebanese state's ability to actually get more guarantees from
02:27the international community, particularly the U.S., but also from the Arab and Europeans, and more
02:34support in order to be able to rein Israel in and in order to support the Lebanese state in pursuing
02:40this
02:40track.
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